How To Analyze AFilm

HOW TO ANALYZE A MOVIE
By sdifilmfest (Tyler Schirado)

SOURCE: https://sdfilmfest.com/how-to-analyze-a-movie-step-by-step-guide-to-reviewing-films-from-a-screeners-point-of
view/
NOTE: This article has been shortened by the instructor.
Watching the Movie

What works for me is to watch the movie in its entirety without distractions in order to get a grasp
on what the director intended. If you spend your first viewing pausing, playing back, and
rewatching segments at a time, you won’t get a sense for the way the film was meant to be
enjoyed.
I also try not to take many notes while I watch the movie—if you’re jotting down a long critique or
opinion while watching the movie, you can miss brief, yet vital moments. I will however, write
down a word or phrase that stands out so that I can recall scenes or story information that catch
my attention and that I deem important.
After You Watch the Movie

The window of time immediately following the viewing is critical. Since I don’t take a lot of notes
during the movie, one of the most important aspects of writing a critique is to stay focused and
write down all of the things that stood out to me about the film. And since collecting my thoughts
after seeing a movie can be chaotic, I need to be sure that I jot down everything that struck my
radar as soon as it’s over. It’s better to get it all down on paper, and then evaluate what’s
necessary to convey to the reader later. Being precise in your commentary and incorporating
specific examples from the movie to back up your opinions is key.
This is where the checklist comes into play. When I write a review, I do my best to cover all
aspects of filmmaking that went into creating the final product, including:
Plot: What was the movie about? Was it believable? Interesting? Thought-provoking? How was
the climax revealed? How did the setting affect the story?
Themes and Tone: What was the central goal of the movie? Was it made to entertain,
educate, or bring awareness to an issue? Was there any strong impression the movie made
on you? Did any symbolism come into play?
Acting and Characters: Did you like how the characters were portrayed? Did the acting
support the characters, and help them come to life? Did the characters display complex
personalities or were they stereotypes? Were there characters that embodied certain
archetypes to enhance or diminish the film?
Direction: Did you like how the director chose to tell the story? Was the pacing and speed of the
movie too fast or too slow? Was the direction comparable to other movies this director has
created? Was the storytelling complex or straightforward? Was there a certain amount of
suspense or tension that worked? Did the director create a captivating conflict?
Score: Did the music support the mood of the movie? Was it too distracting or too subtle? Did it
add to the production and work well with the script? Were the music queues timed well for the
scenes they were supporting?
Cinematography: Were the shots used in a unique way to tell the story? Did the coloring and
lighting affect the tone? Was the action coherently shot? How well did the camera move?
Were actors or settings framed well?
Production Design: Did the sets feel lived-in and believable to the story or characters? Were
the costumes suitable for the characters or story? Did the created environments heighten the
atmosphere on camera
Special Effects: Were the special effects believable? Did they align with the era and tone of the
movie? Were the effects overboard or too subtle? Did they integrate well to the purpose of the
story?
Editing: Was the editing clean or choppy? Was the flow consistent? What unique effects were
used? How were the transitions between scenes?
Pace: Did the movie flow well? Was it too fast or too slow? Was it clearly organized? Did
certain scenes drag down the movie?
Dialogue: Were the conversations believable or necessary? Did the dialogue bring context to
plot developments? Did the words match the tone of the movie and personality of the
characters?
Let’s take the special effects as an example. I want to evaluate them based on utility, use within
the film, and obviously how well it looks on screen. When I saw Mad Max: Fury Road, I was blown
away with all the practical effects and how everything served a purpose to the story. It looked
like everything was well crafted and built with love to develop such a brilliantly inspired
wasteland.
On the other side of the coin, the Transformers movies, as detailed as the robots look, most of the
time while I was watching the movies, I felt like I was watching a jumbled mess of computer
animated metal smashing into each other. It didn’t look stimulating. You want the special effects
to complement the story rather than just being used as a visual device.
After you watch the movie get your ideas down as quick as possible.

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How To Analyze AFilm

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HOW TO ANALYZE A MOVIE

By sdifilmfest (Tyler Schirado)

Watching the Movie

After You Watch the Movie

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